Rumor: Kobe Bryant okay with 50-50 split of BRI?

Lost in the diabolical din of the recent Derek Fisher report on FoxSports.com was the assertion that Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant is willing to accept a 50-50 deal. Two sources with knowledge of his thinking, meanwhile, told SI.com that Bryant has indeed made it known that he’s open to considering the down-the-middle split. Bryant, it is believed, has indicated to union leaders on numerous occasions that — so long as the system issues were adequately resolved — the season was not worth sacrificing if the negotiations came down to a couple percentage points on BRI (which, to be clear, are hardly chump change considering they’re worth approximately $40 million annually per percentage point).